Recently, students in Troup County School System (TCSS) received some encouraging news when asked to write essays about overcoming obstacles – their writings would be entered into a contest with Scholastic Publishing. The completed works would be shared with Sharon Robinson, the daughter of Jackie Robinson, before a winner was named.

Teachers and students focused on the book Promises to Keep; a story chronicling Jackie Robinson’s rise to prominence in Major League Baseball amid breaking the color barrier for the popular sport. The prompt asked students to show how they use Jackie Robinson’s values to face their own barriers, making the writing relevant to their personal lives. While the essay was a perfect addition to the TCSS curriculum, it was also a rigorous lesson that made students think beyond the classroom.